107_PIT BIKES_ADB0507.indd

2007 PIT BIKES<
ORION
AGB 29-125
$1070
MOTO
VERT
EXPERT 141
$3999
TERRA
MOTO
PRO TDX 125F
$3390
BIKE
TEST
PITSTER
PRO125X3
$3650
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We took four of the market’s most race-ready pit bikes to the track
in a bid to unearth the good, the bad and the ugly.
C
hinese pit bikes –
we’ve all seen
them at the grocery
store, outside
laundromats and
lawnmower stores. And while they
look cool, we know that a
Homakawazuki will fall to bits
about two minutes after the first
fire-up. But there are a few brands
getting serious about the pit bike
market – they’ve realised there’s
no substitute for quality and are
adding genuine bling, beefing up
the frame and suspension specs,
and making their engines more
reliable. As a result, these bikes
are selling faster than tickets to
Jimmy Barnes’s Last Final
Farewell Ever (we promise) Tour,
and people are finding they can
race ’em straight out of the crate.
So we thought it was time to
test these new-generation pit
bikes and see if they could
withstand the abuse of the
Macarthur District MCC’s
demanding Fast 50s track.
Our test crew was a daunting
line-up for manufacturers…
Ty Halliday – A quiet,
unassuming bloke who transforms
into an animal on the track. After
establishing himself as one of
Australia’s best BMXers as a kid,
Ty has found the joy a motor can
bring and is now one of the best
Fast 50s racers in Oz.
Mark Brown – An ADB regular
tester, Brownie was an A-grade
MXer, but now paints helmets,
planes and F1 cars. He briefly
held the Guinness Book of World
Records title for the longest
distance on a scooter in 24 hours.
Justin Bush – Everyone calls him
“Bushy” and it’ll be a surprise to
his mates to read that he actually
has a first name. A hard-case
bloke who’s ridden pit bikes for
years, and isn’t afraid to call a
spade a spade.
Simon Makker – ADB staff writer
who rides with his elbows down,
head up, and 90kg of lard and
legs somehow folded onto a kid’s
bike. He’s only ridden pit bikes on
two occasions. One of those was
in a carpark. And the other he
prefers not to talk about.
ADB MAY ’07 | 107
BIKE
TEST
>2007 PIT BIKES
ORION AGB 29-125
T
he Orion was an unknown entity
coming into this shootout, but the
sales figures for the 125cc machine
were impressive. In the past year, Orion
has shifted well over 500 units off
dealer floors. Sure, it’s a fraction of the
price of the others, and as such wasn’t
expected to perform to the same level,
but the little Orion still managed to
hold its own.
MOTOR
Ty: “The Orion sounded quite grunty
and the engine was surprisingly good,
and it accelerated out of corners well.
The gearbox was a little tight – it’d
bang into first gear, and the gap
between second and third was too
wide. If you spent another $1000
cleaning everything up on the Orion,
it’d actually be a pretty good bike.”
Brownie: “I didn’t mind the power on
the Orion, but it took several kicks to
get going. It had more bottom-end
power than the Terra-Moto, and the
power curve was very smooth. It was
very tractable and put the power to the
ground well, but the clutch was
extremely heavy.”
Bushy: “I didn’t like the Orion. I rode it
last out of the testers and I think it had
its tongue hanging out by the time I
jumped on. It sounded like someone
was throwing bags of bolts at me! The
power was very smooth, but the bigger
chassis meant I struggled to get the
front wheel off the ground, even when
I dabbed the clutch – I really had to
yank on the bars.”
108 | www.adbmag.com
TERRA-MOTO PRO TDX 125F
F
Makker: “We had to continually adjust
the idle screw, until at the end of the
day it wouldn’t idle, even with the screw
wound right out. The power was very
linear and broad and didn’t have a big
hit, but had a noticeable lack of torque.
The cable clutch was ridiculously heavy
and I avoided using it.”
SUSPENSION & HANDLING
Ty: “On choppy bumps, the fork
deflected badly. Once you pushed it
through the first part of the stroke it
was better, but it didn’t like big hits.
The bike tracked well through slippery
sweepers and was well balanced frontto-rear. It wasn’t the nimblest of the
four bikes, but you could change
direction easily in the air.”
Brownie: “In the first part of the stroke,
the fork and shock felt very rigid and
slappy, but fell through the stroke and
bottomed-out metal-to-metal on landings
and bigger square-edged bumps. Every
landing off the big tabletop was a clunky
bottom-out. Because of its larger frame,
I felt more in control in the air than on
any of the other bikes.”
Bushy: “After watching Brownie having
fun on the Orion during the photo shoot,
I was pretty keen to ride it, but I found
the suspension far too soft for my weight.
I was scared to jump it because I didn’t
think it’d cope. The mediocre shock and
fork bottomed easily and it was an ugly
experience every time.”
Makker: “Of the four machines, the
Terra-Moto and the Orion had the
softest suspension, and I regularly
ormerly known as Thumpstar, the
Terra-Moto has a reputation as an
out-of-the-box racer, and with rumours
the Chinese manufacturer is stepping
into big-bore thumper MXers, there’s a
lot riding on this bike’s shoulders.
MOTOR
bottomed it out. It felt like the
progression was the wrong way around
– hard at the top of the stroke, then
plusher the further you pushed it until
it fell through the stroke.”
BRAKES & ERGOS
Ty: “I found the ergos were more
spacious on the Orion. The subframe
was very short and ended at the back
of the seat, so when I sat on the rear
fender, it just folded! The brakes
weren’t very responsive, but the Pro
Taper bars were pretty sweet.”
Brownie: “It felt noticeably wider
around the tank and seat junction,
meaning I had more to grip with my
knees. I snapped both levers in
separate crashes.”
Bushy: “The front brake was average, and
I couldn’t rely on it to pull me up in a
hurry. I don’t rate the frame design either
– it looks like a Year 12 student’s project.”
Makker: “The seat was comfortable,
and because it was a bigger-framed
bike than the others, I felt I could
move around on it easier. The Orion
was the only bike I didn’t have trouble
with my kneebraces catching on the
radiator shroud.”
SCORECARD
Motor (66.1/100)
4th
Handling (65.5/100) 4th
Ergos/brakes (63.1/100)4th
TOTAL (out of 100) 65.6
FINAL RANK:
4th
WHAT BROKE
• Clutch and
front brake
levers
• Snapped an
engine mount bolt
• Exhaust came loose
at the mounts
• Motor became noisy
after a day’s riding
• Kick-start lever
twisted
SPECS
Price:
$1070
Distributor: MSB Moto,
0433 902 102
Warranty:
90 days (parts only)
Capacity: 125cc Ducar
Cooling: Air-cooled
Compression ratio:9.0:1
Transmission: 4-speed
Actual weight
(fluids, no fuel):
60kg
Wheelbase: 1300mm
Seat height: 800mm
Fork: USD, 36mm
Shock: Fastace BS35AR, 14mm
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
Handlebars: Pro Taper
Front tyre:
Kenda
Millville 60/100-12
Rear tyre:
Kenda
Millville 80/100-12
Ty: “The Terra-Moto didn’t have much
bottom-end power, but once it got
going, the power came on really well
and carried through to the top-end
smoothly. The clutch action was light
and had good feel for a Chinese bike,
but the fold-back lever was a bit
gimmicky – I’d rather break a clutch
lever than have one of those on it.”
Brownie: “The lack of bottom-end
power meant I had to carry more
cornerspeed and keep my momentum
up more than on the others. The
smooth power meant it tracked well,
and had the least amount of wheelspin.
However, I did flip the Terra-Moto when
I hit a false neutral while wheelying.”
Bushy: “On the Terra-Moto, you had to
either carry your momentum or use the
clutch a lot to keep it in the meat of
the power. The smooth engine didn’t
house any big hits and it sounded
gruntier than it actually was, but the
engine was deceptively fast. All
Chinese bikes have a problem with
false neutrals – it’s like you find a
new gear every time.”
Makker: “It had a doughy bottom-end
but seemed to spring to life in the midrange. The mill had a very smooth
power delivery that could find traction,
even through bulldust-filled ruts and on
the faces of rough jumps. I found false
neutral a couple of times, but the
actual gear ratios were well-spaced.”
SUSPENSION & HANDLING
Ty: “The suspension was weird. The
fork wouldn’t give me any feeling on
upramps – it was different every time,
and when you landed, it felt like it
would snap in two. Even when standing
and pushing down, I noticed the fall
through the stroke. The shock held up
better in the mid-stroke, but it still
bottomed-out a lot. Rear-wheel tracking
was consistent but the bike’s front-end
was unpredictable.”
SCORECARD
Motor (76.2/100)
1st
Handling (66.6/100) 3rd
Ergos/brakes (71.3/100)3rd
TOTAL (out of 100) 71.8
FINAL RANK:
3rd
WHAT BROKE
• Rear
fender
• Suspension
got gradually
worse as the day
progressed
• Bent rear brake pedal
• Throttle kept sticking
SPECS
Price:
$3390
Distributor:
Stoney Creek Powersports
www.terra-moto.com
Warranty:
3 months (parts only)
Capacity: 125cc Ducar
Cooling: Oil-cooled
Compression ratio:
Transmission:
Actual weight
(fluids, no fuel):
Wheelbase:
Seat height:
Fork:
Shock:
Brakes:
Handlebars:
Front tyre:
Rear tyre:
Brownie: “Both the fork and shock’s
progression were unpredictable: sloppy
at the start, then plush in the midstroke, then it’d bottom hard. Rearwheel tracking was good on slippery
sweepers, and it was an easy bike to
throw around in the air; that was good
because of its unpredictable nature.”
Bushy: The shock and fork were like
two fat lessos going at it – they
suited each other, but both were
ugly. The fork was way too soft for
me, and when bottoming it, you could
feel it jar through your arms. It dived
under brakes and I couldn’t get any
confidence on it. On my first ride, I
tried to jump a tabletop and landed
so hard the bars moved forward.”
Makker: “The fork was very soft and
you had to be really precise with your
jumping, otherwise it’d punish you.
Even when pushing it hard through
corners, it’d blow through the stroke.
I found the rake too steep and the front
tended to tuck in tight corners and
deflect off square-edged bumps. The
shock had a bit more progression.”
ERGOS & BRAKES
Ty: “The seat was comfortable but the
bars were too wide – they could cut
25mm off and they’d be better. The
brake pedal is so far from the peg you
need a size 15 shoe to get to it. I think
Terra-Moto needs to go back to the old
Thumpstar look – it looks cheap now.”
Brownie: “I liked the width of the bike
and the front brake had a predictable,
light-feel, but I don’t like the new
plastics and the pitboard-style number
plate is a bit cheesy.”
Bushy: “When I first got on the TerraMoto, the ergos felt really roomy and
well-balanced, but once I got onto the
track, the suspension flaws kicked in.
You almost had to operate the rear
brake pedal with your hand, it was so
far from the footpeg.”
Makker: “When riding to the track, I
thought ‘This is going to be awesome’,
but I was disappointed. The bars felt
very high, but the brakes were
responsive. The new white plastics
looked pretty plain, too.”
ADB MAY ’07 | 109
BIKE
TEST
>2007 PIT BIKES
PITSTER PRO 125X3
T
he 2007 Pitster Pro comes with a
twin-spar alloy-frame and its specs
have really stepped up since it first
came on the market. Now, several
racers, including Bushy, use the
Pitster Pro as their weapon of choice.
MOTOR
Ty: “The Pitster Pro had a top-end
engine and I had to carry more
cornerspeed and use more clutch.
Going two teeth larger on the rear
sprocket would definitely help; as it
was, you could ride it down the M5. I
had to jump the big tabletop in second
gear on the Pitster, whereas on the
gruntier MotoVert, I could click third
and carry a smoother throttle into it.”
Brownie: “The engine had a strong midto-top-end, and the mellow bottom-end
meant it hooked up on slippery
surfaces. Second and third gears were
too close together and seemed to
almost overlap. The actual gear-shifting
was good, and the clutch action was
light. During the morning session it
spluttered when it got hot, but a foam
air filter fixed the problem.”
Bushy: “The Pitster Pro’s motor was
doughy off the bottom, but once it got
going it was a lot of fun. It’s bloody
weird how Chinese bikes are brought out
with road bike-style air filters. You might
as well attach a hose from the carb to
the ground. I work in a bike shop and
we always replace the filters with foam
ones before they go out the door.”
Makker: “Shortening the gearing would
help the Pitster’s engine get through
the fluffy bottom-end and help its
performance on the stop-start nature of
a 50s track. I thought the clutch was
the lightest and most responsive of the
lot and a quick fan was effective at
getting into the meat of the power and
hauling me out of corners.”
SCORECARD
Motor (74.3/100)
3rd
Handling (84.3/100) 1st
Ergos/brakes (79.5/100)
TOTAL (out of 100)
FINAL RANK:
WHAT BROKE
• Shock
reservoir
snapped off
• Front wheel
spacers installed
incorrectly, causing
wheel freeplay
SPECS
Price:
$3650
Distributor: GT Motor,
(02) 9729 0022
Warranty:
3 months (parts only)
Capacity:
125cc
Cooling:
Oil cooled
Compression ratio: 9.6:1
Transmission: 4-speed
Actual weight
(fluids, no fuel):
64.5kg
Wheelbase: 1092mm
Seat height: 762mm
Fork:
Stags Racing
USD, 36mm
Shock: DNM, 14mm
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
Handlebars: Pro Taper
Front tyre: Innova Tough
Gear-R, 60/100-14
Rear tyre: Innova Tough
Gear-R, 80/100-12
110 | www.adbmag.com
SUSPENSION & HANDLING
Ty: “Compared to the Terra-Moto, the
fork was more stable, and I didn’t have
to fight it. I really liked the shock, too.
For a small system, it had heaps of
progression and its bottoming
resistance was great. I think the
steering head angle was steeper than
the others, but once used to it, I
could really stuff it into corners.”
Brownie: “The more you pushed
the fork, the better it felt. The shock
had great progression and both ends
held up well in ruts and corners. The
steering was great – you could charge
into corners and steep berms and come
firing out the other side. The bike did
feel a little rear-end heavy over jumps.”
Bushy: “The fork was plush in the
initial stroke, firmed up well, was great
under brakes and rarely deflected off
choppy bumps. The shock was
progressive and stable and I never had
a problem with it ... until I snapped it
trying to be Evel Knievel.”
Makker: “The fork and shock were
impressive and the bike’s handling was
easily the best. I only bottomed it out
casing a couple of big jumps, but it
wasn’t the metal-to-metal clack I
experienced on the other bikes. When
pushing through tight berms, it was
confidence-inspiring to know the
suspension wasn’t going to blow
through the stroke mid-corner.”
ERGOS & BRAKES
Ty: “The rear brake was responsive and
had heaps of feel, but the front brake
lever was a long way from the bars and
only had to be pulled in slightly before
locking up. I felt more cramped on the
Pitster Pro and banged my knees on
the bars a few more times.”
Brownie: “Once on the track, the
Pitster felt the smallest of the four, but
I think the Moto Vert felt a bit more
cramped – perhaps because the seatto-pegs distance was shorter.”
Bushy: “If the frame was an inch
longer, I think this bike would be nearperfect for everyone.”
Makker: “Bigger guys will find the
Pitster too cramped in the saddle – it
really did feel like a kid’s bike.”
MOTOVERT EXPERT 141
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Despite the info we sent out, the MotoVert
guys didn’t realise it was a 125cc test,
and showed up with a 141cc production
bike. Instead of disqualifying the
manufacturer, each test rider deducted
one point for each aspect of the motor,
but rated the suspension and ergos in
accordance with the other bikes.
Admittedly, this is somewhat arbitrary,
but better than sending them packing.
MOTOR
Ty: “Being a 141cc, the MotoVert’s
power didn’t roll on like the others and
had a great power hit. Right off the
bottom, it was significantly stronger, but
when moving from loamy soil onto
hardpack, it’d spin and step out every
time. The gear-shifter was too short and
it was easy to bump into false neutrals.”
Brownie: “The power was awesome, and
even if the engine was a 125cc, it’d still
be strong. Between carburetion, motor
and pipe, it had a nice, crisp note.
However, getting the power to the
ground was shithouse; it felt like you
had a flat tyre the whole time. I played
with the adjustable clutch but it slipped
so much I couldn’t get any drive.”
Bushy: “The MotoVert was the most fun
to ride, hands down, but I think the
extra mumbo in the motor was a big
factor. Once you turned the throttle, it
sprang to life, and pulled hard from the
mid-range to the top-end. However, if
you brushed the gear lever with the tip
of your boot, it’d regularly fall into false
neutral, which was frustrating.”
Makker: “If MotoVert’s 125 has the
same characteristics as the 141, it’d
still be a great little mill. As it was, it
had the best bottom-end of the lot and
kept pulling right through. Gear ratios
were well-spaced, but tractability was
less than average.”
SUSPENSION & HANDLING
NOTE: The MotoVert’s shock became a
pogo stick during the morning session,
and no amount of adjustment would fix
it. As a result, the guys replaced it.
Ty: “The new shock transformed the
bike from something unrideable into a
joy to be on. The suspension package
was similar to the Pitster Pro and was
very progressive, but once the fork was
pushed through the clamps, it did
deflect more off square-edged bumps.”
Brownie: “Everyone has their own riding
style, and the MotoVert’s suspension
package suited me. The initial part of
the stroke felt slappy, but once we
pushed the fork through the clamps
about 40mm, it operated better. I only
rode with the second shock installed,
and found it to be very progressive and
had great bottoming resistance.”
Bushy: “The initial shock in the bike
was screwed – it would simply pogo.
We slowed the rebound down as much
as possible, but without any result. The
new shock was a million times better.
The fork was also very progressive, but
I had to wrestle the bike into line for
upramps or through corners.”
Makker: “The suspension package was
very well-balanced, and bottoming
resistance was impressive. However,
rear-wheel tracking was dismal and you
had to use precise throttle control to
hold a controlled arc around sweepers.”
BRAKES & ERGOS
Ty: “I’m a bit taller and found the
MotoVert’s ergos quite roomy. I didn’t
bang my knees on the bars and I could
get my legs forward easily in corners.”
Brownie: “The ergos didn’t suit me. I
felt I was placed too far over the
hangers, and that unweighted the rear
wheel. Perhaps the footpegs could’ve
been pushed back on the frame.”
Bushy: “I think the frame on the
MotoVert is a good 1.5 inches longer
than the Pitster, and as such, I had a
bit more room to move around in the
cockpit. All the anodised bits and the
carbon fibre ignition cover look trick.”
Makker: “Neither the front nor rear
brake had much response or feel, and I
found myself using the engine braking
more than the levers. I managed to rip
the radiator shroud off when the end
caught behind my kneebrace.”
SCORECARD
Motor (76.1/100) 2nd
Handling (81.6/100) 2nd
Ergos/brakes (79.5/100)1st=
TOTAL (out of 100) 79.1
FINAL RANK:
1st
WHAT BROKE
• Shock
became a
pogo stick
• Left hand shroud
ripped off when caught
on a knee brace
• Right-hand fork
seal blew
SPECS
Price:$3999 (125cc - $3599)
Distributor:
Mojo Motorcycles,
www.motovert.com.au
Warranty:
3 months (parts only)
Capacity: 140.39cc
Cooling:
Oil-cooled
Compression ratio:9.0:1
Transmission: 4-speed
Actual weight
(fluids, no fuel):
61.2kg
Wheelbase: 1150mm
Seat height: 750mm
Fork:
Marzocchi USD, 35mm
Shock:
Moto Vert Racing, 16mm
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
Handlebars:Pro Taper SE
Front tyre:
Kenda
Millville 60/100-14
Rear tyre:
Kenda
Millville 80/100-12
ADB MAY ’07 | 113
BIKE
TEST
>2007 PIT BIKES
VERDICT
W
e can hear your brain working in
overdrive right now. Which bike is right
for you? Depends who “you” are, really.
If you’re a young grom looking to buy a little
playbike, or a dad interested in hooking the
offspring up with their first bike for that
upcoming birthday, then the Orion is the pick
of the bunch and at just over $1000, you can
buy three of these for every Pitster Pro.
The Terra-Moto has a brilliant little engine
that will bring a smile onto anyone’s face, but
it’s a pity the suspension, handling and ergos
aren’t at the same level.
The Pitster Pro is race-ready out of the crate.
As well as putting power to the ground
effortlessly, the Pitster’s fork can soak up
almost anything you can throw at it.
Funnily enough, despite forcing us to deduct
points by bringing a 141cc to our 125cc
shootout, the MotoVert is still the pick of the
bunch. Even if the engine had 16 fewer cubes,
it’d still be a solid little mill with a great bottomend that’d almost guarantee holeshots. The
suspension is more than competitive for the
bigger riders pushing it around the racetrack, the
cockpit has plenty of room to move around in,
and some sweet bling bits mean it looks like
you’ve spent a stack load more cashola than you
actually have.
RIDER FEEDBACK
PRO – TY HALLIDAY
22, 178CM, 67KG
“I like the
MotoVert the
best. The
suspension was
good – once we
replaced the
shock that the
bike arrived with.
I loved the power, and it was nice and
roomy, and that’s pretty important
seeing as I’m a taller guy. I felt it was
the most well balanced bike of the lot. I
could always tell what it was going to
do on the face of jumps and could
move it around easily in the air.”
114 | www.adbmag.com
EXPERT – MARK BROWN
29, 167CM, 67KG
“My favourite
was the
MotoVert
because it
seemed to have
been made for
me. The power
was crisp, clean
and precise – it was never doughy,
nor did it misfire. Once I got used to
the throttle control needed, I could cut
some good laps on it. Second was the
Pitster Pro. Everything worked well on
it, and it was a very easy bike to rip up
the track on.”
EXPERT – JUSTIN BUSH
HACK – SIMON MAKKER
33, 178CM, 88KG
26, 182CM, 90Kg
“My favourite
bike was the
Pitster Pro, due
to the fact that
I’ve done a fair
bit of time on
those things.
I like the way
it handles, but either the motor or
jetting needs to be sorted to get it
nice and crisp. It was the bike I felt
most comfortable on as an overall
package. The MotoVert comes a very
close second because it was good
fun to ride.”
“Being at the
bigger end of
the pit bike
rider spectrum,
suspension and
power means a
lot and I found
the Pitster
Pro’s package the best. It wouldn’t
punish me for mis-timing jumps and
it had good power that wouldn’t bust
sideways when I got careless. If that
engine and suspension fitted into
the Orion’s larger frame, it’d be the
perfect racer for bigger blokes.”